JOURNALISTIC MENDACITY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1742, 19 July 1862, Page 3

JOURNALISTIC MENDACITY.

Our contemporary tie * Adreitiser.' in its last issue, waxes exceedingly wroth at us, for venturing to publish our journal tri-weekly on the same' days with itself. There is an audacity of impei tinence about this highly amusing, when it is borne in mind that tbe ' Advertiser' in recently changing its days of issue, not only monopolised one of this journal's days, but also anticipated the news of another by its Thursdaysheet. In fact the 'Advertiser/ which initiated the change in question, solely for.its own benefit, and without the slightest reference to the interests of this journal, vow shows teeth and snarls because we have done precisely tbe same thing. Verily, the force of assurance could no further go "The head and front of our offending" bowever would appear to be the statement, " that our circulation more than doubled that of eithei of our contemporaries." We reiterate that assertion, and challenge tbe ' Advertiser' to the proof. Let the average circulation of both journals be compared, aud it will then be shown wbich is the ' braggait,' or how far our co litemporaiy is justified iv his boast, " that the circulation of the New Zealand 'Advertiser,' far exceeds tbat of any other journal withiu the Province of Wellington." We shall be glad to learn how he proposes to settle this issue, meau ti me We have to assert that we are in possession of reliable information, fixing tbe average circu* lation of his journal at such a limit, as fairly to justify our statement ; and we feel all the more confidence that we are right, from a knowledge of the fact, tbat a considerable portion of bis issue, equivalent to at least one eighth of that circulation, i_ transmitted to agents "on sale or return". How many of the latter copies come back to the office as waste paper it would be difficult to say, but looking to the forcing system of tactics, usually adopted, in conducting the journal iv question, we sbould be inclined to think the proportion rather heavy. Impelled no doubt by a laudable desire for information our contempo rary next inquires, " How we contrived to squeeze the 24 columtis'ofadvertisements, which appeared in our Jast Friday's issue, into four teen and a balf on Tuesday." Well, as we always wish to gratify a gentleman of an enquiring turn of mind, we will explain the seem ing mystery, and that too, without " the perversion of truth" which he so charitably hints we are addicted to. It so happens then, that certain advertisements, some of which occupy between one and two columns of space, are ordered for insertion once a week only, which it has been our usual practise to insert ou Fri. days. Such being the case-, last Friday's issue contained the full complement, while on.Tuesday. the extras in question were of course omited, and thus without the ability of a conjurer t o put a " quart bottle int-) a pint," we contrived ■jbr&olve the problem. We trust this simple explanation will prove satisfactory to ,our contpjjjpqrtiry but in. making it, we caujiot but express: pity mingled^ with a certain dash; df contempt- for that moral obifquity df Avisiddwhich sees an " artful dodge," iv what is so per-

fectly straightforward. While utterly repudiating his tasteful allusion to "dummies" in ouradvertising columns, we cannot help thinking that his acquaintance with that specially unprofitable class of advertisements, is based upon an experience, both extensive and varied. Iv his last issue, we could point to no less than seventeen advertisements, of the majority of which there exists internal evidence, more than enough to

rank them in the "dummy" division. What does the unflinching and high mi tided denouncer of <: policy, patronage, and poltroonery," suy to this dark stain on bis escutcheon. lie talks of our "characteristic truthfulness," hut with facts like these before us we cannot reciprocate the compliment. That we may soon be able to do so, is our heartfelt wish, but to favour such a consummation, it would be well that his future comments on ourselres, should be a little less unfounded and malicious, and that be should always bear in mind " that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."